Conveying mechanism



5 R. E. J. NoRDQuls-r C ONVEYING lMECHANISM Filed Feb. 17, 1940 July zo, 1942..4

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY Patented July 20, 1943 UNIf'rEbI-@srArE-s j PATENT, orti-frcs i i I ooNvEri-lrzieHANSM a i u or to American Can Company, New York, N. Ya

a corporation of `New Jersey v Application February 17, 1940, serial No. 319,549

"fThe present inventionrelates toV a container orcan making :inachineand'has particular reference-to a transferinechanism for theA con- An object of the invention is the povisitn, `in a container making-Inachine', of a transfer mechani'sm wherein containers being operated upon while I moving along 'a predetermined path:` `f` travel may be readily transferred from `one 'part' of the machine to another and ,directedalong a different path of travel for subsequenty operations without in any Way affecting the travel timing of the containers Yor interfering Awith' the operations being performed upon them.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,`

discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofV aV portionA of a can making machine embodying the instant inf vention, with parts broken away; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sectional 'vievvsl taken substantially along the respectivebroken lilies 2-2 and 3`3 in 1, With Fig. 2 ing certain of the machine parts in a different position. l

` Asta preferred embodiment of they instant invention the drawings illustrate the, container conveyingme'chanisrn of a machine `for operate ingon sqiiare fibre milkscontainvers A vof `the character disclosed in United States Patent 2,085,979, issued` Juiy 6.11937, tn conn IjIothersall.V In 'Suche a machine container end members B are sealed in place o'nthe containers A while they are carried by aconveyor C `along a" predetermined straight V line path of travel through the machine. The machine parts for effecting this Sealing opration are omitted forn the drawings since such parts` forni no part of each platform there is ofsioacd containerl retaining fingers |37while at the' opposite `end` there is only'mone finger I4. A These ngersl ex?-v t'eno outwardly at right angles t9 `the 'patrona and thus provide a container carryingV pocket `I5 betweenv llIl. It iS in these p'o'clktsA tlfilll containers Aare received at one end of the rnachine and'in which they are carried through the machine while being operated upon at the various Working stations.

Such a conveyor C operates over a pair of V"3' Claims. (C1. 19e- 27) spaced sprockets I 8 which arelo'cated one at each end ofthe machine. `Only the one at the dis; charge end of the machine is shown in the drawings `since the `present invention is particularly directedto this endof the machine. The sprocket shown is the 'driving' sprocket and is mounted y on a transverse drive shaft |79 carried in bearings f 2| yformed in upright brackets 22 `bolted to a base 23 .which forms a part of the'niachine main frame,"`

guetaliyindicatezi by the niimrar 24; p

'Ihe conveyor C is` preferablyactuated in an intermittent or step-bylstep movement so that the containers retainedwithin vits pockets `I5 may be brought to rest While the" Work is being Derformed upon them. This intermittent motion is brought about by a cam indexing device which includes ani'ndexing Wheel 21 (Figs. 1 and 2) carried on an outer end fof the drive shaft` I9.

The Wheel carries a plurality of spaced cani rollers 27.8 arranged in a circle adjacent the outer 'ed'ge thereof. These Illi are engaged Olie at a. til by a continuously rotating "barrel cam 29 andi when `so engaged they operate in and traverse a screw like or spiral cam groove 3l.

husupon each rotation of the cam, one cain roller is engaged and inov'e'd along the axis of the cainla predetermined distance. This action rotates the ind'ering plate through a partial rotation and thus advances' the conveyor one step.

The earn 29 is mountedon a cam shaft 32 jour- V naled in a bearing formedA in the` bracket 22 and Yothersections of the same in another bearing 33 formed Thssnfaf't is diveri'in any suitable manner iii tiinewith the other moving parts of the machine.

The transfer mechanism Dis lbcated adjacent the discharge` 'sprocketll8 vso that as the con-` tainers i come adjacent thiss'proeket they may be readily transferred to another` machine or to machine, as the case may beh for further operations. This transfer mechanism includes a paruof transfer elements or elevating platforms 4I (Figs. 12 and 3) which are located oneven each side of the moving conveyor C4 and adjacent the discharge `sprocket I8.

Each transferl platform 4I is mounted on a pair of pivot pins 4:2 carried in the inner ends of `a pair of parallelogramarms 43. There are four of .these arms, two upper and two lower. The

" upper arms are formed on Vone long hub 44 while the lower arms areforrnedon a similar hub 45.

'I hese hubs are mounted on transverse pivot` shafts 46 carriedin bearings 41 formed in the upper portionA of the bracket 34.

One of the lower parallelogram arms `I3 is connected by a link 5I (Figs. 1 and 3) to a bell vcrank lever 52 Awhich is mounted on a pivot pin 53 carried in a pair of spaced bearings 54 formed on the bracket 34. The :bell crank also carries a cam roller 56 which operates in a cam groove 51 of a barrel cam 58 mounted on the continuously rotating cam shaft 32.

Hence the rotating cam 5B rocks the bell crankV 52 and this in turn raises and lowersall of 4.the

parallelogram arms 43 and the transfer plat-'- form secured thereto to effect the transfer of a container A in the conveyor C. This transfer is ypreferably done while the conveyor is standing still, i. e., between its stepped movements.

At the time the conveyor C begins to moveI after such a period of rest and during its step advancement, the transfer platforms 4| are in lowered position, i. e., below the path of travel of the containers A, as best shown in Fig. 2. The

moving conveyor brings a container A into af lposition for the next container which will be' brought into place upon the next advancement of the conveyor C.

The elevator E is preferably a constantly moving endless chain conveyor 6! having a plurality of curved propelling fingers 62 secured thereto at spaced intervals along its lentgh. Adjacent the machine under consideration the chain 6| takes over a sprocket 63 which is mounted on va shaft B4 journaled in bearings 65 formed in an arch bracket 66 supported on the main frame 24 and on the bracket 34.

Along one run of the chain 6I there is located a plurality of spaced and parallel guide rails 68 which are arranged to properly guide the containers A. The upper ends of these guide rails lead to any suitable place of deposit for the containers. The lower ends curve downwardly under the sprocket 63 and terminate adjacent the upper position of the transfer platformjlli.

Hence when a container A is removed from the conveyor C and is raised into its elevated position by the transfer platform 4| it isj directly in front of the lower terminal ends of the elevator guide rails 68 and is in the path of' travel of the elevator fingers 62. The elevator -is so timed with the operation of the transferl platform that as a container is brought into its ele-- vated position one of the elevator fingers 62 immediately engages behind the container and sweeps it olf the transfer platform into the support of the guide rails. The engaging finger further propels the container upwardly along the guide rails to a subsequent operation machine or to any suitable place of deposit as desired.

It is thought thatI the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim: Y

1. In a container making machine, Ythe combination of an intermittently movable conveyor for advancing containers in spaced relation there- Y on in a predetermined path of trave1a continuously movable endless''conve'yor vspaced above said first mentioned conveyor and having a plurality of can Yengaging and propelling elements i -disposed in spaced relation thereon, a vertically A movable transfer device disposed between said conveyors, said device when in lowered position successively receiving the advanced containers from said intermittently movable conveyor, means for moving said conveyors in timed relation, and means for actuating said transfer device inopposite vertical directions in time with the movement of said intermittently movable conveyor and whenv the; latter is momentarily at rest, to successively elevate the containers `advanced and received thereon into. the pathoftravel of said endless conveyor in position,Vv to lbei` ments in a differentpath'of travel.'

2. In a container making machine,

successively engaged and propelled by^ sad elethe bination of an intermittently movable conveyor,Y

for. advancing containers .in spaced relation thereon in a predetermined path of travel, a continuously movable endless conveyor spaced above said rst mentioned conveyor and having a plugrality of can engaging and propelling fingers dis'-,

posed in spaced relation thereon, a pivotally,v

mounted vertically movable transfer `platform disposed between said conveyors, said platform-l when in lowered Iposition successively receiving the advanced containers from saidintermittentlyvv movable conveyor, means for intermittentlymov-r.

ing said first mentioned conveyor, and means actuated by said conveyor moving means for elevating and lowering said transfer platform when said intermittenly movable conveyor is momentarily at rest, to`successively elevate the contain'- ers advanced and received thereon into the path. of travel of said endless conveyor in position to be successively engagedand propelled by said;

conveyor fingers in a different path of travel., I 3. In a container making machine, the combination of an intermittently. movable conveyor for, advancing containers in spaced relation thereon in a predetermined path of travel, a continuously movable endlessconveyor spaced above said r'st. mentioned'conveyor and having aplurality .of. can engaging and propelling'ngers dis/pc'Jsed-infi spaced relation thereon, a camshaft and index wheel for intermittently moving said, first mentioned conveyor, a vertically vmovable transferv platform lpivotally mounted between 'adjacent ends of said conveyors, a pivotally mountedbell crank lever connected to said platform, said platformwhen in lowered position successively re'` ceiving the advanced containers from said inter'- mittently movable conveyor, means forrmovingl said endless conveyor'in timed 'relation with s aid intermittent conveyor, and cam means Aon said shaft and engaging said bell crank lever for alternately elevating and lowering said transfer platform on its pivotal mounting in time with the,`

movement of said intermittently movable con-l' veyor when the latter is momentarily at rest, to

successively elevate the containers advanced and,

received thereon into the path of travel` of saidY endless conveyor in position to be successively engaged and propelled by lsaid conveyor fngerslln al different path of travel. l, RCNALD E; J. N OlfllQ'UlISYV 

